Freeport mining operation causes damage to environment: Amien
Monday, May 29 2000 - 03:30 AM WIB
Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais said that the gold and copper mining operation of PT Freeport Indonesia in the Papua province since the 1960s has caused damage to the environment.
Amien was quoted as saying by the Kompas daily that he supported the government efforts to take strong measures according to existing regulations to resolve the problem.
Amien disagreed with suggestions that taking strong measure against Freeport, which is controlled by the U.S.-based Freeport McMoran Gold and Copper Inc., would discourage foreign investment in the country or disrupt economic relations with the U.S.
He said that investors would not be discouraged as the government takes the action based on the existing ruling and regulations.
MPR is the country's highest legislative body, while Amien is also one of Indonesia's prominent political leaders.
Freeport Indonesia, which is believed to have received various privileges during the previous authoritarian rule of president Soeharto, has been under fire over alleged environmental destruction, and collusion, nepotism, and corruption practices. The company was also recently hit by a fatal landslide incident at its waste-dumping site.
The government has ruled Freeport to lower production capacity following the landslide incident.
There has been strong pressure for the government to shut the company's operation as well if they're proven to have destroyed the environment.
Separately, Freddy Numberi, an indigenous of the Papua province and a member of the current Cabinet, said that Indonesia must honor its contract with foreign investors.
He disagreed with calls for the government to drop Freeport's mining contract. He said that such action would damage Indonesia's reputation in the international community.
Freddy was quoted by the Suara Pembaruan evening daily as saying that what the government could do was to revise the contract. He pointed out that certain parts in the Freeport contract had yet to be fully implemented by the company. (*)